This invention relates generally to cleaning devices for tape recorder/player units, and, more particularly, to a cartridge-shaped cleaning device inserted into and driven by the tape unit which automatically cleans the head and tape drive mechanism when the unit is activated.
Heretofore, an effective method of removing dirt and other extraneous material from head and drive mechanisms of recorders/players has been to manually clean them with swabs and solvents. This method, however, is time consuming and messy. Also, this technique is quite difficult, if not impossible, to carry out in units, such as in some automotive installations, where the head and tape drive elements are inaccessible unless the unit is disassembled. To overcome these disadvantages, cleaning devices have been devised which utilize a standard cassette housing having an abrasive band in place of the magnetic tape. When such cassette cleaners are inserted into cassette recorders/players, the band is driven across the tape head to remove accumulations. This type of cleaner is unsatisfactory because, over prolonged use, the abrasive material of the band tends to wear the tape head. Also the band cleans only that part of the head which is contacted directly by the abrasives. Because of this, accumulations above and below the edges of the band and those which are forward and behind the point of contact of the band with the head are missed and remain.
Another disadvantage of the abrasive-band cassette-cleaner is that the band is not absorbent and thus cannot retain cleaning solvents which are useful in loosening and removing accumulations.
Other types of cassette-cleaning devices have been proposed in which a cam-driven wiper arm is pivotally mounted in the housing. This wiper arm is driven back and forth across the head by the motion of the cam which, in turn, is driven by the usual supply or take-up reel of the cassette recorder/player. A cleaning pad is fixed to one end of the wiper arm for intermittent contact with the head of the recorder/player. One problem encountered with this design is that the head configurations of various recorders/players differ both in size and location from one another. This can result in uneven cleaning as well as functional areas of the head left totally untouched.
A further problem arises from the fact that if the wiper arm encounters too much resistance in moving across the head of the unit, the wiper arm may bind, thus preventing the cam from rotating and thereby triggering an automatic shut-off mechanism in the recorder/player which stops the unit before cleaning is complete.
Another proposed device for cleaning the head of a tape recorder/player utilizes a series of brushes outwardly mounted along the circumference of a sprocket wheel within a cassette housing. When the recorder/player is activated with this cleaner therein, the brushes sweep across the face of the head to dislodge accumulations. A disadvantage of this design is that the brushes are not absorbent and thus incapable of retaining cleaning solvents. Also, since the effectiveness of this cleaner is dependent upon the stiffness of the brushes, the fact that the brushes are not replaceable renders the unit ineffective when the brushes deteriorate.